SI Question - Skin turned blacky purple?

[Pomegranate]

I am really sorry for asking another first aid question when I only PM'd a FAA about something else two or three weeks ago.

Basically, I cut several times over the weekend and cut quite badly (although with a new/clean blade) and then didn't go to a+e to get them stitched (again.....I don't advice this but I have a slight phobia of the damned place and it is my decision not to go). The position of two of the cuts was very close/borderline joining together and basically there is a kind of 'island' of skin between them. This was fine when I did it but yesterday it was turning a deep shade of purple. Tonight it is black and the area that is black seems to be spreading. Not beyond the 'island', but further along it. I am presuming this is because the wounds surrounding it were pretty deep and there is a lack of blood supply to the island area?

I'm sorry if this is a really obvious and stupid question but basically....what will happen if I leave it? It is not totally removed from un cut tissue although there is a lot of scar tissue in that area. Will it just 'fall off/detach itself' (gross I know....apologies to anyone reading)? Or will it 'fix' itself? If I leave it is it very likely to cause any problems or not? Is it more likely to get infected or is that nothing to do with it?

Thanks

Emma

[offlineforever]

Too me, that sounds like a bruise, well at first it does, but i'm not sure....

sorry this is a bit of a pointless post

[Emmabob.]

sounds like bad bruising tbh.

[~Grace~]

because of the way i cut i tend to get little islands of flesh that turn purple/black and in the end they right themselves..I think youre right, that it is a lack of blood supply to that area, but i cant be sure..but i would keep a close eye on it as i dont think mine spread...take care Emma x

[Animad]

As yours is worsening and a few days later is a bit late for bruising, I personally am a bit concerned and feel you should just get it checked out at your doctors or even a Minor Injuries Unit. The reason I say this is if tissue is black (and not knowing how deep you cut you could easily compromise the blood supply to an area) then it may be a sign that it is dying due to lack of blood supply and therefore it can't get any nutrients/ oxygen or get rid of anything toxic it produces. If this is the case then the area will need to be removed and the surrounding tissue because it can cause a lot of problems and will become incredibly infected with a really bad infection (which it already could be which may be another reason for it changing colour and this spreading) and that is bad news in itself. Eventually it would fall off itself but the risk of serious damage to the surrounding and underlying tissues is huge and it is unlikely to heal well at all.

Yep, I'm not ruling out the fact for definate that it may only be a small problem such as bruising but you'd usually see that later on that day/ the next day, you wouldn't see it starting and worsening 3-4days on (unless you have disrupted the area).

In the meantime keep the area clean and covered but I'd strongly suggest that you get it checked out ASAP.

PS. sorry I didn't reply yesterday, I was going to come on in the evening and then had severe laptop issues; ie it took over an hour to turn on and work properly!

[Pomegranate]

Thanks Animad and no worries about not replying the same day! I imagine even FAA have lives of some variety outside RYL :P

I did consider bruising but to be frank, I have cut to this certain level more times than I could count and worse and this has only happened once or twice before and when it did happen then I took certain measures to 'deal' with it unadviced and by myself. Bruising, even 'bad' bruising is something I am fairly accustomed to but I guess I wanted clarification, especially since this particular 'island' seemed to initially be changing colour much quicker than previously.

The blackened skin does actually seem to be returning to purple/dark grey and had spread no further. The particular two wounds that caused the 'island' are kind of into the subcutaneous fat level. As it happens it looks like I should be considering making an appointment to get some pain relief/anti biotics/advice for the deepest injury from that 'session' anyway so might ask whoever I see to check out these other two and the island they created as well.

Would it be the GP or the Nurse or Nurse Practitioner that such an appointment should be made with though (re query potential/possible muscular damage and how to ease the pain of that since OTC's are doing very little and also how to minimise infection?). I don't normally care but this just seems ridiculous! I can barely drive because of the pain and this seems to be getting worse, not better. I can't even straighten my arm without practically ending up in tears! I tried to lift my disabled Grandmother today and ended up sat on the floor, crying because of the pain. The cut is not even on my forearm....it is on the upper arm. I am also aware I have gone off topic slightly.

Basically the wounds originally behind this thread being made seem to be a little better but I will probably be getting them checked anyway because of this other horrible cut.

[Animad]

Due to potential muscle damage then a doctor is the person that you should see. If you can't get an appointment with them then I'd say a nurse practioner (who are also based in Minor Injuries Units) but they cannot take it further and refer you if necessary to anyone other than a normal doctor (if you're at A&E then they can get one of the A&E doctors to look at it and it can go from there). However, yes, it needs to be your GP really.

By the sounds of it it was just bruising coming up a bit late then. If it was the tissue dying then it wouldn't have improved at all, in fact would've worsened as once it's dead that's it and it releases toxins that damages the surrounding tissue (and also further afield in your body).